Dustless one-stroke cut-through saw

ABSTRACT

A saw system capable of cutting through a workpiece in one stroke is provided. The saw system includes a base, a turntable mounted on the base for rotation about a vertical axis, a support structure defining a cutting axis and fixedly attached to the turntable, and an elongated blade including a cutting edge. The turntable has a substantially planar support surface for supporting a workpiece. The support structure includes a pair of parallel sliding members having proximal and distal ends. The saw system further includes a handle assembly coupled with a bearing member, which is mechanically engaged with the sliding members, and an elongated blade fixedly attached to the bearing member. The elongated blade includes a serrated cutting edge that is acutely angled relative to the support surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/840,928 filed Apr. 6, 2021 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,027,346 onJun. 8, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser.No. 16/148,793 filed Oct. 1, 2018 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,610,939on Apr. 7, 2020, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 62/619,769 filed Jan. 20, 2018 with the United States Patent andTrademark Office, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35U.S.C. § 119 and § 120, the contents of which applications areincorporated herein in their entireties by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a new non-circular saw system, andspecifically, to a saw system which allows to cut through a workpiece inone stroke.

BACKGROUND

Reciprocal and circular saws are widely used in commercial settings andat homes for cutting various materials, such as wood, medium densityfiberboard (MDF), high density fiberboard (HDF), and composite board.These saws usually produce a large amount of sawdust. Cutting wood orplastic at a typical work site results in debris that is scattered overa wide area and sawdust that is released in the air. The fine dustpollutes the environment, and its inhalation may harm the health of asaw operator. Wearing personal protection equipment during sawingactivities is therefore necessary to avoid respiratory damage.

While the saw operator may use protective clothing and a dust mask forpersonal protection, this does not resolve the problem of dustscattering around the work area. The environmental problem is ofparticular concern when sawing is conducted indoors, where the dust willfall on carpets, furniture, and other room furnishings. Drop cloths maybe available to protect the immediate area around the saw cuttingoperation, however, finer dust particles may still settle a significantdistance away from the work site.

Various sophisticated saw systems are available on the market that areequipped with a built-in dust extractor or vacuum dust collector.However, because of design complexity, most of these saws are expensive,electricity driven, and difficult to operate. There remains a need foran affordable yet effective, portable, and easily manageable saw systemthat will produce a minimum amount of dust during the sawing operation.

SUMMARY

A saw system capable of cutting through a workpiece in one stroke isprovided. The saw system includes a base, a turntable mounted on thebase for rotation about a vertical axis, a support structure defining acutting axis and fixedly attached to the turntable, and an elongatedblade including a cutting edge. The turntable has a substantially planarsupport surface for supporting a workpiece. The support structureincludes a pair of parallel sliding members having proximal and distalends. The saw system further includes a handle assembly coupled with abearing member, which is mechanically engaged with the sliding membersin a manner which permits translational movement of the bearing memberalong the sliding members between a first position, wherein the bearingmember is located at the proximal ends of the sliding members, and thesecond position, wherein the bearing member is located at the distalends thereof. The saw system further includes an elongated blade fixedlyattached to the bearing member, wherein the elongated blade includes aserrated cutting edge that is acutely angled relative to the supportsurface. The elongated blade is movable along the sliding members suchthat, at the first position, the elongated blade partially passes theproximal ends of the sliding members, and, at the second position, theelongated blade partially passes the distal ends thereof.

The cutting edge may include a portion having a straight contour, aportion having a curved contour, or a combination thereof. The curvedcontour may have a convex shape.

The sliding members may be acutely angled relative to the supportsurface.

The angle between the serrated cutting edge and the support surface maybe smaller than the angle between the sliding members and the supportsurface.

The sliding members may be rods disposed horizontally one over theother.

The turntable may further include a slot coextensive with the cuttingaxis, wherein the slot may be parallel to the sliding members.

A lower portion of the elongated blade comprising the proximal end ofthe cutting edge may be positioned inside the slot. A higher portion ofthe elongated blade including the proximal end of the cutting edge maybe positioned outside the slot.

The carrying assembly may be a panel fixedly attached to the elongatedblade.

The saw system may further include a handle assembly disposed on orformed as a part of the carrying assembly.

The workpiece may be a stationary workpiece, and the elongated blade maybe movable along the sliding members to cut through the stationaryworkpiece in one push stroke.

The elongated blade may be a SharpTooth™ 15″ hand saw blade.

The workpiece may include wood or plastic. The workpiece is a dowel, apipe, a floor trim, a door trim, a window trim, a ceiling trim, a walltrim, or a multi-purpose trim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, advantages and features of this disclosurewill become more apparent by describing in further detail exemplaryembodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the saw system, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the saw system, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is another side view of the saw system, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 4 is an elevated side view of the saw system, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the saw system, according to an embodiment, inthe engaged position;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the saw system, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the saw system, according to an embodiment,with a workpiece to be cut;

FIG. 8 is a view of the carrying assembly of the saw system, accordingto an embodiment, with the elongated blade attached to it;

FIG. 9 is a view of the saw system disposed on a supporting table;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the saw system, according to anotherembodiment;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the saw system, according to anotherembodiment;

FIG. 12 is another side view of the saw system, according to anotherembodiment;

FIG. 13 is a rear view of the saw system, according to anotherembodiment;

FIG. 14 is another rear view of the saw system, according to anotherembodiment; and

FIG. 15 is a top view of the saw system, according to anotherembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of whichare illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like referencenumerals refer to like elements throughout. In this regard, the presentembodiments may have different forms and should not be construed asbeing limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, theembodiments are merely described below by referring to the figures toexplain aspects of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of,” whenpreceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and donot modify the individual elements of the list.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”another element, it can be directly in contact with the other element orintervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when anelement is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there areno intervening elements present.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third,etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components,regions, layers, and/or sections, these elements, components, regions,layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. Theseterms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region,layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, orsection. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or sectiondiscussed below could be termed a second element, component, region,layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the presentembodiments.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, thesingular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the pluralforms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The term “or” means “and/or.” It will be further understood that theterms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including”when used in this specification, specify the presence of statedfeatures, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this general inventive conceptbelongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those definedin commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaningthat is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant artand the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealizedor overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference tocross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations ofidealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of theillustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniquesand/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments describedherein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes ofregions as illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapesthat result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a regionillustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/ornonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may berounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic innature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shapeof a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the presentclaims.

“Substantially” and “about” as used herein is inclusive of the statedvalue and means within an acceptable range of deviation for theparticular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art,considering the measurement in question and the error associated withmeasurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of themeasurement system). For example, “substantially” or “about” can meanwithin one or more standard deviations, or within ±30%, 20%, 10%, 5% ofthe stated value.

In an embodiment, a saw system capable of cutting through a workpiece inone stroke is provided. FIGS. 1 to 6 show a one-stroke cut-through sawsystem, according to an embodiment. The saw system includes a base unit1 and a cutting unit 2 which includes a turntable 21, a supportstructure 22, and an elongated (non-circular) blade 23 having a cuttingedge 231 for cutting through a workpiece (not shown) in one push stroke.

The base unit 1 may be any unit known in the art that can provide a firmand stable foundation to the cutting unit 2. The base unit 1 may includea front edge 11, a rear edge 12 disposed opposite to the front edge 11,a bottom surface 13 extending from the front edge 11 to the rear edge12, a top surface 14 disposed opposite to the bottom surface 13, a firstside edge 15 connected between the front edge 11 and the rear edge 12,and a second side edge 16 disposed opposite to the first side edge 15.

Structurally, the base unit 1 may include a disk-like bottom frame 17, afirst foot stand holder 18 a, and a second foot stand holder 18 b,respectively and horizontally connected to two opposite lateral sides ofthe disk-like bottom frame 17. The front edge 11 and the rear edge 12may each respectively be formed by the disk-like bottom frame 17, thefirst foot stand holders 18 a and the second foot stand holder 18 b. Thedisk-like bottom frame 17 may include an angle scale to select a desiredangle for cutting. The first side edge 15 and the second side edge 16may respectively be formed on the first foot stand holder 18 a and thesecond foot stand holder 18 b at an outer side. The bottom surface 13may be formed on the first and second foot stand holders 18 a and 18 bat a bottom side, and the top surface 14 may be formed on the first andsecond foot stand holders 18 a and 18 b at a top side. The base unit 1may further include rubber legs to avoid scratching the floor. Thenumber of rubber legs may vary as desired, for example, from 3 to 5.

The cutting unit 2 may be fixedly mounted on the base unit 1. Thecutting unit 2 may include a turntable 21, a support structure 22, andan elongated blade 23 having a cutting edge 231 for cutting through aworkpiece in one push stroke. Each of these elements will be describedin detail below.

A turntable 21 may be rotatably mounted on a top wall of the disk-likebottom frame 17 of the base unit 1. The turntable 21 may include anouter boundary 211 defining a working surface 212 opposite to the bottomsurface 13 of the base unit 1. The turntable 21 may further include twoplatforms 213 a and 213 b extending outwardly from the oppositelocations of the outer boundary 211. The platforms 213 a and 213 b mayconstitute a permanent part of the turntable 21 or may be fixedlyattached thereto. The turntable 21 may further include a slot 214including a cutting axis 215, which is parallel to the working surface212 of the turntable 21. The slot 214 may be fixedly attached to theturntable 21 and is configured to receive a cutting edge 231 of anelongated blade 23. The slot 214 may extend from the center of theturntable 21 toward and over the front edge 11 of the base unit 1 in adirection parallel to the cutting axis 215. The slot may include arotatable handle which one can comfortably use to rotate the saw and tolock the saw at various angles. The turntable 21 may further include ared pointer that points to a selected angle of the angle scale of thedisk-like bottom frame 17.

The saw system may further include a fence assembly 24 that isconfigured to hold the workpiece on the working surface 212 of theturntable 21 in a certain position in order to achieve a cross-cutacross the width of the workpiece. The fence assembly 24 may include afirst fence member 241 fixedly attached to the top surface 14 of thefirst foot stand holder 18 a and a second fence member 242 fixedlyattached to the top surface 14 of the second foot stand holder 18 b.Each of the first fence member 241 and the second fence member 242 mayinclude a contact face 243 against which an edge of the workpiece ispositioned. In an embodiment, the turntable 21 may include two curvedslots 216 and 217 located concentrically to the outer boundary 211 ofthe turntable 21, and a portion of the first and second fence members241 and 242 may be protruded through the curved slots 216 and 217 tobecome engaged with the turntable 21. This specific arrangement allowsto maintain the workpiece on the turntable 21 at the same positionrelative to the first and second fence members 241 and 242, whilerotating the turntable 21 to select a desired cutting angle. The cuttingaxis 215 of the slot 214 may be perpendicular to the first and secondfence members 241 and 242.

The saw system may further include a support structure 22 that isfixedly attached to the platforms 213 a and 213 b of the turntable. Thesupport structure may include a first holding pillar 221 disposed on thefirst platform 213 a and fixedly attached thereto, and a second holdingpillar 222 disposed on the second platform 213 b and fixedly attachedthereto. The support structure 22 may further includes a pair ofparallel sliding members including a first sliding member 223 and asecond sliding member 224. Each of the first sliding member 223 and thesecond sliding member 224 may extend from the first holding pillar 221to the second holding pillar 222 in a direction parallel to the workingsurface 212 of the turntable 21, and in a direction parallel to thecutting axis 215 of the slot 214. Each of the first sliding member 223and the second sliding member 224 may include a proximal end 225 nearthe first holding pillar 221 and a distal end 226 near the secondholding pillar 222. The first and second sliding members 223 and 224 mayhave any shape, and their arrangement and distance relative to eachother may vary as desired. In an embodiment, the first and secondsliding members 223 and 224 may be cylindrical rods disposedhorizontally in the plane perpendicular to the working surface 212 ofthe turntable 21 (i.e., the first and second sliding members 223 and 224may be disposed one over the other). In another embodiment, thecylindrical rods may be disposed horizontally in the plane parallel tothe working surface 212 of the turntable 21. The sliding members may beconnected to the first and second holding pillars 221 and 222 throughmounting holes or mounting brackets.

The saw unit may further include a bearing member 25, which ismechanically engaged with (coupled to) the first and second slidingmembers 223 and 224, and which is capable of translationally moving(sliding) along the first and second sliding members 223 and 224. In anembodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first and second sliding members 223 and224 may protrude through the bearing member 25. The bearing member 25may be coupled to the sliding members in a manner which permits movementof the bearing member 25 between a disengaged position, wherein thebearing member 25 is near or in contact with the first holding pillar221, and an engaged position, wherein the bearing member 25 is near orin contact with the second holding pillar 222. The bearing member 25 mayfurther include a flat panel 251 fixedly attached thereto, which carriesthe elongated blade 23. Thus, the flat panel may serve as a supportcarrier for the elongated blade 23. Each of the first sliding member 223and the second sliding member 224 may further include two rubber gasketsto prevent the bearing member 25 from directly contacting and damagingthe first and second holding pillars 221 and 222.

The saw system may further include a handle assembly 26, which may bedisposed on the bearing member 25 or which may be formed as a part ofthe bearing member 25. The handle assembly 26 typically includes agripping portion 261, which is sloped to have its highest portion 262furthest from the location of the person when using the apparatus, and alowest portion 263 closest to the user. The handle assembly 26 allowsthe user to make a desired cut by pushing the bearing member 25 holdingthe panel 251 with the elongated blade 23 from the disengaged positionto the engaged position. The handle assembly 26 may further include alocking pin (not shown) which is used to lock the saw at a certainposition. This is especially useful during transportation, when thehandle assembly may be conveniently locked in the middle between thedisengaged and engaged positions. A user then can pick up the saw by thehandle and carry it to the new place of work or to the car, as desired.

As described above, the elongated blade 23 may be fixedly attached tothe bearing member 25 through an optional panel 251. Thus, the elongatedblade 23, the optional panel 251, the handle assembly 26, the bearingmember 25, the support structure 22, and the turntable 21 may be engagedwith each other to form one cutting unit 2. The elongated blade 23 has acutting edge 231 that cuts through a workpiece located on the turntable21. The cutting edge 231 includes a proximal end 232 and a distal end233. The cutting edge may include a portion having a straight contour, acurved contour, and a combination thereof. The elongated blade 23 may bepermanently spaced from the turntable 21 to allow the lower portion ofthe elongated blade 23 including the proximal end 232 to enter into theslot 214. The cutting edge 231 of the elongated blade 23 is sloped andgradually becomes elevated toward the fence assembly 24. The elongatedblade 23, the optional panel 251, the bearing member 25, the handleassembly 26, the support structure 22, and the turntable 21 may be allengaged with each other in one system to form one cutting unit 2 whichmay rotate around the vertical axis passing through the center of theturntable 21, to perform a desired cutting operation on the workpiece.

In an embodiment, the elongated blade 23 may be any reciprocating sawblade commonly used for cutting wood or plastic. The shape and size ofthe elongated blade 23 may vary depending on the nature of the cuttingoperation, and the material and size of the workpiece. In an embodiment,the blade may be a SharpTooth™ hand saw blade having a size ranging fromabout 8″ to about 20″, for example, from about 10″ to about 18″, or forexample, from about 12″ to about 16″, but is not limited thereto. In anembodiment, a SharpTooth™ 15″ hand saw blade may be effectively used asan elongated blade. Depending on the nature of the cutting operation, aperson of ordinary skill in the art would be able to select anappropriate elongated blade 26 to cut through the workpiece in one pushstroke using the present inventive saw assembly.

The workpiece may be positioned on the turntable 21 against the contactface 243 of the fence assembly 24 to accomplish a desired cut. Theelongated blade 23 must be positioned at an acute angle relative to theworking surface 212 of the turntable 21. Such a position is of criticalimportance, as it allows an effective cross-cut through the workpiece byusing only one push stroke. The elongated blade 23 must be positionedsuch that a lower (submerged) portion thereof including the proximal end232 of the cutting edge 231 is located inside the slot 214, and a higher(elevated) portion of the elongated blade 23 including the distal end233 of the cutting edge 231 is positioned outside the slot 214. To makethe cut, the distal end 233 of the cutting edge 231 must be locatedabove the highest point of the workpiece.

For example, the blade may be positioned such that the cutting angle isfrom about 1° to about 35°, for example, from about 1° to about 25°,from about 1° to about 20°, from about 1° to about 15°, or from about 1°to about 10°. The cutting angle as used herein refers to the anglebetween the imaginary line connecting the distal end 233 of the cuttingedge 231 to the proximal end 232 thereof and its projection onto theturntable, which is coincidental with the cutting axis. In anembodiment, the cutting angle may be about 2°, about 3°, about 4°, about5°, about 6°, about 7°, about 8°, about 9°, but is not limited thereto.For example, the cutting angle may be from about 5° to about 8°, fromabout 6° to about 8°, or from about 7° to about 8°. In general, thesmaller the cutting angle, the less physical pressure needs to beapplied to make a clean cut. For example, the blade installed at 8°requires one to apply more physical pressure than the same bladeinstalled at 5°. On the other hand, the smaller the cutting angle, thelonger blade is needed to make a clean cut. For example, the 16″ sawblade may be positioned at about 6°, the 15″ saw blade may be positionedat about 7°, and a 14″ saw blade may be positioned at about 8°. Giventhe reciprocal relationship between the cutting angle and the length ofthe saw blade, a person of ordinary skill in the art would be able todetermine an optimal cutting angle for a saw blade having a specificlength to make a clean cut using the present inventive saw assembly.

As noted above, the cutting edge 231 of the elongated blade 23 must bepositioned at the acute angle to the working surface 212 of theturntable 21. It is apparent that, when the cutting edge 231 of theelongated blade 23 is parallel to the working surface 212 of theturntable 21, a clean cut cannot be made in one push stroke. Instead, aseries of reciprocating saw blade movements are needed to cut throughthe workpiece. On the other hand, when the cutting angle between theimaginary line connecting the distal end 233 of the cutting edge 231 tothe proximal end 232 thereof and its projection onto the turntableexceeds 35°, the position of the blade is too steep to cleanly cut theworkpiece in one push stroke. The present inventors have unexpectedlyfound that, when the blade is positioned at the acute angle within theranges described above, an effective and clean cross-cut of theworkpiece may be achieved in one push stroke using the present inventivesaw assembly, which requires minimum movement, and which generates aminimum amount of sawdust.

To operate the saw system, the sliding portion of the cutting unit 2which includes the elongated blade 23, the optional panel 251, thebearing member 25, the handle assembly 26, may be placed in thedisengaged position (see above). A workpiece 27 is then placed againstthe contact face 243 of the fence assembly 24 (as shown in FIGS. 7 to9), and a sliding portion of the cutting unit 2 is pushed along thesliding members 223 and 224 to the engaged position. The workpiece 27may be a piece of wood or plastic, and may be a dowel, a pipe, a floortrim, a door trim, a window trim, a ceiling trim, a wall trim, amulti-purpose trim, but is not limited thereto. During the push, theelongated blade 23 travels along the cutting axis of the slot 214 to cutthrough the workpiece 27 located on the worktable. The sliding portionof the cutting unit 2 is subsequently returned to the disengagedposition to commence a new cutting operation on a new workpiece.

The saw system, according to an embodiment, has several advantages.Because of fast and repetitive movements, the fast-spinning circularsaws and reciprocal saws generate a large amount of dust. In contrast,the saw system, according to an embodiment, allows to carry out acut-through operation in only one stroke, generating a minimum amount ofdust. The present saw system is especially beneficial for interior workareas and furnished settings, where generation of significant amount ofdust is not desirable.

FIGS. 10 to 15 show a one-stroke cut-through saw system, according toanother embodiment. The saw system includes a base unit 1 and a cuttingunit 2 which includes a turntable 21, a support structure 22, and anelongated (non-circular) blade 23 having a cutting edge 231 for cuttingthrough a workpiece (not shown) in one push stroke. The base unit 1 maybe the same as the one described above in relation to the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

The cutting unit 2 may be fixedly mounted on the base unit 1. Thecutting unit 2 may include a turntable 21, a support structure 22, andan elongated blade 23 having a cutting edge 231 for cutting through aworkpiece in one push stroke. The turntable 21 and the elongated blade23 may be the same as the ones described above in relation to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

The support structure 22 is fixedly attached to the platforms 213 a and213 b of the turntable 21 such that the support structure 22 may beangled to the turntable 21. The support structure 21 may include a firstholding pillar 221 disposed on the first platform 213 a and fixedlyattached thereto either directly or indirectly. As shown in FIGS. 10-15,the first holding pillar 221 may have two points of attachment to theturntable 21. The support structure 21 may include a second holdingpillar 222 disposed on the second platform 213 b and fixedly attachedthereto through braces 227 a and 227 b.

The support structure 22 may further includes a pair of parallel slidingmembers including a first sliding member 223 and a second sliding member224 that are disposed at a first angle relative to the support surface.Each of the first sliding member 223 and the second sliding member 224may extend from the first holding pillar 221 to the second holdingpillar 222 and may be parallel to each other. Each of the first slidingmember 223 and the second sliding member 224 may include a proximal end225 near the first holding pillar 221 and a distal end 226 near thesecond holding pillar 222. The first and second sliding members 223 and224 may have any shape, and their arrangement and distance relative toeach other may vary as desired. In an embodiment, the first and secondsliding members 223 and 224 may be cylindrical rods disposed in avertical plane (i.e., the first and second sliding members 223 and 224may be disposed one over the other). In another embodiment, thecylindrical rods may be disposed in a horizontal plane. The slidingmembers may be connected to the first and second holding pillars 221 and222 through mounting holes or mounting brackets.

The saw unit may further include a bearing member 25, which ismechanically engaged with (coupled to) the first and second slidingmembers 223 and 224, and which is capable of translationally moving(sliding) along the first and second sliding members 223 and 224. In anembodiment, the first and second sliding members 223 and 224 mayprotrude through the bearing member 25. The bearing member 25 may becoupled to the sliding members in a manner which permits movement of thebearing member 25 between a disengaged position, wherein the bearingmember 25 is near or in contact with the first holding pillar 221, andan engaged position, wherein the bearing member 25 is near or in contactwith the second holding pillar 222. The bearing member 25 may furtherinclude a panel 251 fixedly attached thereto, which carries theelongated blade 23. Thus, the panel may serve as a support carrier forthe elongated blade 23. Each of the first sliding member 223 and thesecond sliding member 224 may further include two rubber gaskets toprevent the bearing member 25 from directly contacting and damaging thefirst and second holding pillars 221 and 222.

The saw system may further include a handle assembly 26, which may bedisposed on the bearing member 25 or which may be formed as a part ofthe bearing member 25. The handle assembly 26 typically includes agripping portion 261, which is sloped to have its highest portion 262furthest from the location of the person when using the apparatus, and alowest portion 263 closest to the user. The handle assembly 26 allowsthe user to make a desired cut by pushing the bearing member 25 holdingthe panel 251 with the elongated blade 23 from the disengaged positionto the engaged position. The handle assembly 26 may further include alocking pin (not shown) which is used to lock the saw at a certainposition. This is especially useful during transportation, when thehandle assembly may be conveniently locked in the middle between thedisengaged and engaged positions. A user then can pick up the saw by thehandle and carry it to the new place of work or to the car, as desired.

As described above, the elongated blade 23 may be fixedly attached tothe bearing member 25 through a panel 251. Thus, the elongated blade 23,the panel 251, the handle assembly 26, the bearing member 25, thesupport structure 22, and the turntable 21 may be engaged with eachother to form one cutting unit 2. The elongated blade 23 has a cuttingedge 231 that cuts through a workpiece located on the turntable 21. Theelongated blade 23 may be disposed at a second angle relative to thesupport surface. In some embodiments, the second angle may be the sameas the first angle at which the first sliding member 223 and the secondsliding member 224 are disposed relative to the support surface. Inother embodiments, the second angle may be smaller or larger than thefirst angle. In a preferred embodiment, the second angle at which theelongated blade 23 is disposed relative to the support surface issmaller than the first angle at which the first sliding member 223 andthe second sliding member 224 are disposed relative to the supportsurface. The cutting edge 231 includes a distal end 232 and a proximalend 233. The cutting edge may include a portion having a straightcontour, a curved contour, and a combination thereof. The elongatedblade 23 may be permanently spaced from the turntable 21 to allow thelower portion of the elongated blade 23 including the distal end 232 toenter into the slot 214. The cutting edge 231 of the elongated blade 23is sloped and gradually becomes elevated toward the fence assembly 24.The elongated blade 23, the optional panel 251, the bearing member 25,the handle assembly 26, the support structure 22, and the turntable 21may be all engaged with each other in one system to form one cuttingunit 2 which may rotate around the vertical axis passing through thecenter of the turntable 21, to perform a desired cutting operation onthe workpiece.

The workpiece may be positioned on the turntable 21 against the contactface 243 of the fence assembly 24 to accomplish a desired cut. Theelongated blade 23 must be positioned at an acute angle relative to theworking surface 212 of the turntable 21. Such a position is of criticalimportance, as it allows an effective cross-cut through the workpiece byusing only one push stroke. The elongated blade 23 must be positionedsuch that a lower (submerged) portion thereof including the distal end232 of the cutting edge 231 is located inside the slot 214, and a higher(elevated) portion of the elongated blade 23 including the proximal end233 of the cutting edge 231 is positioned outside the slot 214. To makethe cut, the proximal end 233 of the cutting edge 231 must be locatedabove the highest point of the workpiece.

To operate the saw system, the sliding portion of the cutting unit 2which includes the elongated blade 23, the optional panel 251, thebearing member 25, the handle assembly 26, may be placed in thedisengaged position (see above). A workpiece 27 is then placed againstthe contact face 243 of the fence assembly 24, and a sliding portion ofthe cutting unit 2 is pushed along the sliding members 223 and 224 tothe engaged position. The workpiece 27 may be a piece of wood orplastic, and may be a dowel, a pipe, a floor trim, a door trim, a windowtrim, a ceiling trim, a wall trim, a multi-purpose trim, but is notlimited thereto. During the push, the elongated blade 23 travels alongthe cutting axis of the slot 214 to cut through the workpiece 27 locatedon the worktable. The sliding portion of the cutting unit 2 issubsequently returned to the disengaged position to commence a newcutting operation on a new workpiece.

The saw system, according to an embodiment, may be easily operated byhand. It does not include fast moving parts and is safe in use. The sawsystem does not require a power supply, does not consume naturalresources, and is therefore environmentally friendly.

The saw system, according to an embodiment, does not create continuousnoise typically associated with reciprocal and circular saws. Thedisclosed saw system is portable, may easily fit in a household vehicle,and may therefore be easily relocated from one place to another.

The saw system, according to an embodiment, includes parts engaged withone another in one cutting unit. By rotating the turntable together withthe fixedly attached elongated blade, the cutting unit may beconveniently positioned with regard to the fence assembly to make adesired cut.

While this disclosure has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A saw system comprising: a base, a turntablemounted on the base for rotation about a vertical axis, wherein theturntable has a substantially planar support surface for supporting aworkpiece, a support assembly fixedly attached to the turntable anddefining a cutting axis, wherein the support structure comprises: twoparallel sliding members comprising proximal ends and distal ends, ahandle assembly coupled with a bearing member, which is mechanicallyengaged with the sliding members in a manner which permits translationalmovement of the bearing member along the sliding members between a firstposition, wherein the bearing member is located at the proximal ends ofthe sliding members, and the second position, wherein the bearing memberis located at the distal ends thereof, and an elongated blade fixedlyattached to the bearing member, wherein the elongated blade comprises aserrated cutting edge that is acutely angled relative to the supportsurface, wherein the elongated blade is movable along the slidingmembers such that, at the first position, the elongated blade partiallypasses the proximal ends of the sliding members, and, at the secondposition, the elongated blade partially passes the distal ends thereof,wherein the elongated blade is configured to cut through the workpiecein one push stroke.
 2. The saw system of claim 1, wherein the cuttingedge comprises a portion having a straight contour, a portion having acurved contour, or a combination thereof.
 3. The saw system of claim 2,wherein the curved contour has a convex shape.
 4. The saw system ofclaim 1, wherein the sliding members are acutely angled relative to thesupport surface.
 5. The saw system of claim 1, wherein the angle betweenthe serrated cutting edge and the support surface is smaller than theangle between the sliding members and the support surface.
 6. The sawsystem of claim 1, wherein the sliding members are rods disposed oneover the other.
 7. The saw system of claim 1, wherein the turntablefurther comprises a slot coextensive with the cutting axis.
 8. The sawsystem of claim 1, wherein a lower portion of the elongated blade ispositioned inside the slot.
 9. The saw system of claim 1, wherein ahigher portion of the elongated blade is positioned outside the slot.10. The saw system of claim 1, wherein the elongated blade is engagedwith the support structure through a carrying assembly.
 11. The sawsystem of claim 1, wherein the carrying assembly is a panel fixedlyattached to the elongated blade.
 12. The saw system of claim 1, whereinthe elongated blade is a SharpTooth™ 15″ hand saw blade.
 13. The sawsystem of claim 1, wherein the workpiece comprises wood or plastic. 14.The saw system of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is a dowel, a pipe, afloor trim, a door trim, a window trim, a ceiling trim, a wall trim, ora multi-purpose trim.